We're looking for new writers to join us!

E3 2010: Nyko

by: John -
More On: E3 2010
I visited with Nyko today and while they didn’t have that much to show that was new over CES, they did have a few things that might interest a few folks out there.

First up, Nyko will be coming out with two PlayStation 3 controllers dubbed Raven that have a nice soft feel to them and are rechargable The only difference between the two is the position of the left analog stick and D-Pad. For those that prefer the Xbox 360 layout with the analog stick at the top and the D-Pad on the bottom next to the right analog stick, Nyko has that option for you. I asked if the Xbox 360 controller was the more prefered layout and the Nyko rep said that they always get requests for a PS3 controller with a 360 layout but never the other way around. So, with that, you guys will be able to pick up that option soon. Unfortantly, you’ll need to use the Raven with a dongle as they won’t be Bluetooth but they are a little less expensive because of that.

The Kama controller also gets a refresh with the same material covering it as the PlayStation 3 controllers mentioned above. Nothing else is new but the new soft black material is very nice to hold in one’s hand. If you haven’t purchased a Kama controller but are in the market for one, then the new coated Kama might be the one for you.

Finally, Nyko’s always in the market to make controller chargers and they showcased two charge stations for the PlayStation Move. They are both prototypes so the final design might change and I’ll get to that in a second why I bring that up. First up is a dual charger with a nice deep round base that keeps your PlayStation Move controller upright and charging. You’ll need to plug it into a power outlet though and the decision to do this was so that it would charge faster since you can get more power out of a wall outlet than a USB port. I did mention that some phones can detect whether it is using A/C or USB and can adjust charging rates accordingly but gives you the flexibility of using either so I hope they take that into consideration for a future charging station.

The other Move charging station on display was a quad setup giving you the ability to charge up to four controllers. Here is the one I had a small issue with as the base design relies on the USB plug to keep the Move controllers upright and stable. To me , that’s a pretty easy point of failure and I suggested either making a deep base like the dual charger or putting in some veritcal guides to ensure they stay there. For those that have kids ore pets like I do, I would want as much protection as I can get to keep the controller from moving or damaging the USB port. Let’s hope they can adjust the design for when the final product is released.

I’d like to thank Nyko for taking the time to show me around here on the first day of E3.